Breaking down President Biden's SOTU address: Chad Pergram
Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram dissects President Biden's State of the Union address and Republican reactions.
Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall said President Biden "painted a rosy picture" of the current state of America and ignored the problems facing hardworking families during his State of the Union address Tuesday night.
In his second State of the Union address since taking office, Biden laid out his economic plans, called on Congress to pass a mass amnesty for illegal immigrants, and bipartisanship while criticizing GOP proposals. He promised to be tough on China if it threatens U.S. sovereignty and also addressed the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot in which he said democracy is "bruised" but "unbroken."
Marshall said in response to Biden's speech the president's remarks excluded concerns facing everyday Americans and highlighted areas where the federal government has fallen in the last two years.
"Like many of you, I waited with some unease to see how President Biden would approach this year’s State of the Union address given the unique and challenging issues facing our country: a looming recession, a war in Ukraine, an increasingly brazen China, an open southern border, and out of control federal spending causing record inflation, to name just a few," Marshall said in a statement.
Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall said President Biden "painted a rosy picture" of the current state of America and ignored the problems facing hardworking families during his State of the Union address Tuesday night. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
"America is a great Nation, more than capable of addressing all of these problems," he continued. "But as I sat there listening as President Biden painted a rosy picture of the current situation in America I will admit I was frustrated, frustrated at his lack of understanding of what every day, hardworking American families are going through, at his lack of urgency, and most importantly, at his lack of accountability."
Marshall pointed to the crisis at the Southern Border, which has seen a record number of migrant encounters since Biden took office in January 2021 and led to thousands of fentanyl overdoses among people in the U.S.
"Now averaging over 8,000 encounters every day, no one can sensibly argue against the fact that President Biden has catapulted the southern border wide open," he said. "Along with a record number of individuals encountered, over 1.2 million illegal aliens have evaded border patrol and disappeared into the country. Fentanyl has become a scourge, a slayer of our youth, and the number one killer of young adults in America."
The senator also addressed the Chinese spy balloon that flew over the U.S. last week before a military jet shot it down off the Atlantic Coast. Marshall said the incident revealed the administration's weakness and "how little our enemies respect this President."
In addressing Biden's economic agenda, Marshall hit the president and Democrats in Congress for "recklessly" borrowing and spending the country into a recession. He added that Biden has made life more expensive for every American, as inflation has soared under his administration.
President Joe Biden arrives to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol, Tuesday, Feb 7, 2023, in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin)
"Let me emphasize, while the President can brag about wage growth, anyone who fills their car up with gas, goes to the grocery store, or pays their rent or home heating bill, is struggling to afford these basic necessities," Marshall said. "Under this President inflation is outpacing wages and Social Security checks, and Americans are feeling the pinch."
He said the administration should be working with lawmakers in Congress to restore "fiscal sanity, balancing the budget and decreasing the burdens we will be leaving our grandchildren."
Citing the president's recent announcement he would be ending the COVID-19 national emergency declaration in May, Marshall said Biden should have ended the declaration immediately instead.
BIDEN BOOED DURING STATE OF THE UNION FOR CLAIMING GOP WANTS TO CUT SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE
President Joe Biden speaks during a State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. (Photographer: Jacquelyn Martin/AP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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"President Biden should have used this State of the Union address to announce that he would be terminating the emergency today and relinquishing the supersized Government powers and returning liberty to the people. We’ve lived under the weight of mandates and government restrictions for too long," he said.
The Kansas lawmaker ended by suggesting the administration "take accountability, admit their policies do not work, that they are drowning the American people" so that "responsible, pro-growth, pro-liberty, and pro-security policies" can be adopted.
"The resiliency of our Nation and our people are truly phenomenal. While the State of the Union under the leadership of President Biden may not be strong, our people will always be," Marshall concluded.
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